All News & Events

Rhode Island Foundation announces $3.6 million in new grants to support the ongoing work of six Health Equity Zones in the state, marking a sea change in investments in communities

An application by the South Kingstown Land Trust requesting funding from the town’s open space bond fund to purchase and preserve a 43-acre property sparked a debate Monday about how closely the issues of land preservation and affordable housing are tied.

Cottrell Homestead, 500 Waites Corner Road, West Kingston, received approval from the Planning Board Tuesday to develop a 250-kilowatt solar energy system spanning approximately 28,206 square feet, or roughly two-thirds of an acre.

In 2016, a household income of $85,373 was needed to afford the cost of renting of an average price two-bedroom apartment in South Kingstown. That ranks the town among the most expensive communities in which to rent in the state, according to the 2017 Housing Fact Book from HousingWorks RI.

With the topic of affordable housing on the minds of many who live in South Kingstown, the town’s affordable housing collaborative committee hosted a workshop at the South Kingstown Recreation Center Tuesday to hear residents’ thoughts on the issue.

The town council voted during its meeting Monday to use a portion of the money in its affordable housing trust fund for consulting services to make amendments to the town’s zoning ordinance to better address the need for affordable housing.

Jonnycake Center of Peace Dale is partnering up with Welcome House of South County for a holiday drive to benefit local children, seniors and homeless adults.

Several Rhode Island towns are facing negative impacts after being notified in late July that many of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) applications for local programs and agencies will not receive the funding they typically see. Locally, six social services programs applied for a total of $136,702 to fund several projects in the area, and after the meeting in late July, East Greenwich, along with many other towns across the state, were notified that none of their applications from the Plan Year 2016 will receive funding.

Rhode Island's real estate market is showing no signs of slowing down, as parts of the state are seeing a big boost in home sales. Although many home prices are climbing with more buyers in the market, interest rates are still low, which makes a larger mortgage more affordable.